Filing-drawer and card-holder



F. E. KUNKEL.

FILING DRAWER AND CARD HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20, 1919.

1,382,429. Patented June 21,1921.

Freda K227215492.

UNITED STATES ()FFICE.

FILING-DRAVIER AND CARD-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 21, 1921.

Application filed Dctober 20, 1919. Serial No. 331,787.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, FREDERICK E. KUNKEL, a citizen or the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Golumbia, have inventedcertain. new and useful Improvements in Filing-Drawers and Card-Holders, of which the following is a spoolfication.

Where it is desired to hold a large number of filing cards or otherpapers in a drawer it has been customary to maintain these articles inposition means of guide cards. These guide cards are perforated in thecenter of their lower edge to receive an eyelet. Longitudinal of thebottom of the drawer and spaced therefrom is provided a rod which passesthrough the eyelet or" the several cards and the follow-up bloclr. Thisrod may be above the plane or" the bottom of the drawer but in manyinstances it is found necessary to construct a longitudinal channelwithin the bottom of the drawer and to receive this rod, in order thatthe latter may not interfere with the papers or cards placed in thedrawer.

With the construction above described it has been found thatconsiderable ditficulty arises in maintaining the guide cards normallyvertical. It is also a matter of difficulty to maintain the guide cardsat a definite distance from the front wall of the drawer, as cards somounted are readily displaced by the movements of the papers or the actoi opening and closing the drawer. When the follow-up block is notbrought up tight against the papers the guide cards and folderscontaining the papers will fall over in the drawer.

My improvement is addressed to the pro vision of guide cards and theirretaining means which will maintain the position in which they areadjusted longitudinally 01 the drawer.

It is a further object of my invention to utilize a guide card retainingmeans independent of the bottom of the drawer. As will be evident fromthe disclosure my in vention further provides against the guide card orits retaining means interfering with movements of the papers or cardscontained in the drawer.

lit is a further object of my invention to construct a guide cardretaining means susceptible of adjustment and of being locked readily inadjusted position, and adapted for ready inspection.

A further object of my invention resides in the provision of means torestore the guide cards to the normal vertical position by the more actof closing the drawe r in the cabinet.

hilly invention further includes a follow-up lock of novel constructionand cooperating with the guide cards and their retaining members.Further objects of my invention will be evident from the followindescription and drawings in whichb Figure l is a perspective view of afiling drawer, embodying my improvement;

2 is an elevation of the retaining means for the cards;

Flg. 3 is a perspective view, partially brolren away, of the upperportion of the retaming member;

Fig. l is a perspective view of the lower portion of the retainingmeans, and

Fig. 5 is a partial elevation of the followup block.

The filing drawer, 7, includes the Side walls, 8, the rear wall, 9, andbottom, 10. Spaced from the inner surface of each side wall, 8, are tworods. The upper rod, 11, is rectangular in cross-section and suitablyfastened to the front and rear walls of the filing drawer. The uppersurface of the rod, ll, is channeled to provide a concave track, 12, fora purpose to be hereinafter described. The lower rod, 13, is suitablyspaced from the side wall, 8. directly beneath the rod, 11. The rod, 13,is likewise above the plane of the bottom, 10.

A retaining means is provided for engagernent with the rods, 11, and 18,and consists in the vertical rod, 14:, the upper clip, 15, and the lowerclip, 16. The upper clip, 15, is formed of sheet metal bent intoU-shape, the bight of the metal being claniped around the end of rod,ll, as the latter proj ects above the member, 11. The lower edge of themember, 15, is suitably flared at, 17, to form a spherical bearing. Ahearing ball, 18, is held in the flared recess and is free to turntherein. The flared surface, 17, extends sulllciently below thehorizontal diameter of the roller to prevent the accidental dislodgmentor" the latter. The metal, of which the member 15 is made, issufiiciently thin not to interfere with the filing of papers or car s.The space between the two arms oi the clip, 15, is only so wide as willbe necessary to accommodate a guide card, 19, of customary thickness,and the arms V and guide cards may be inserted at any place bearing, 18,as l 1 '1 I w man tnec ll; i

ing members in adjusted position;

may be outwardly flared to facilitate entry of the card.

The lower end of the rod. it, carries the clip or stirrup 16, sodesignated as it supports the lower edge of a guide card. This memberconsists of two branches 20 and 21, which extend vertically and providean opening sufliciently wide to receive a guide card 19. The portions 20and 21 meet at their lower edge in a common curved channel which forms astirrup for the guide card, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. One edge of themembers F20 and 21, is clamped around the lower end of the rod andmaintains the clip, 16, parallel with the clip, 15 The portions, 20 and21, may have flaring lips as above described.

The greatest width of the members 15 16 is such as to permit the clipsto be held parallel to a wall, 8 and slipped between the latter and thebars ll and 13. As the clip, 16, is slid pastv the bar 11, and the bar.13, it may given a quarter-turninvnrd bringing the roller bearing, overThe retain- .in means now free to travel back. and

the curved track in the bar 11.

forth uponthe bar. being retained in vet-- I tical condition byengagement with the side of the bar 13. As will be evident from Fig.

2 the upper edge of clip 16 and the lower A q 1 -1 surface Oi the bar13, me spaced irom each,

other. lit follows thatmovement of the retaining member along the'rodll. is without interference. If the retaining' niember is mounted in itsnormal vertical position a guide card, 19,'may be inserted between-thearms ofthe clips 15 and 16. V I

It issometiines desirable to lock a guide card in an adjusted positionlongitudinally of the bar 11 and at slight inclination from thevertical; This is readily accomplished by a slight tilting movementaround the ball fulcrum. This serves to .ient with thelower surface ofbar 13 and thus loclrsthe guide card and its two retainposition will beretained until, either X hand or the impact ofthe guide cards andfolders duringtheoperation of closin the drawer. or tightening thefollowup block frees the clip, 16, from the bar, 13, and restores theguide card to the vertical position. 7 V

It will be obvious that retaining member in the file wherever desired. 7

Toserve as a follow-up member and to prevent undue movement of the guidecards and the contents of the drawer there is provided a follow-upmember, This followup block consists of a suitably shaped plateextending between the side walls of the drawer. Projecting beyond thevertical up into frictional engage' poy' those skilled in edges of theplate and oppositely disposed with rcspectto the bars ii and 13, are theupper and lower yokes E23 and 24,; The upper yolres 23 form extremitiesfor the rods suitably journaled in the brackets 26 of the'plate 2%. n27, on the rod 2.3 serves as an abutmcn ior the spring" 27, the oppositeend of which rests against an abutment, 28, of the bracket. The innerextremity of each rod, 25, car 29,. pivotec at their point of which therod and its parts may be drawn inward against the force of the spring,27. Similar brackets may hold the yokes 2 L opposite the bars 13 butwithout resilient engagement therewith. The follow-up block may belowered into the drawer and when the yohes 2d and 23 are opposite therespcctive bars ll. and 13 the plate is turned to a position transverseof: the drawer. By means of the grips, 29.

intersection by rei :ted and this permits the movement of t e ollow-upbloc-h longitudinally. of the a 1 and for stable engagement in;ad-'

j; sted position. A slight pivotal movement 0:- e guide cardiserves tobring its label in or view and to retain 1t thusas'long as is Theordinary movements of filing The follow-up block likeunobstructed andserves to reada the conte: of the drawer in the e p lticular embodimentof my invenshown '51, of course, susceptible of conrable variationwithout departing from the spirit of my invention, and it is to benderstood hat'many changes may be made the art within the scope of theinvention as defined in the appended claims. 7

What l claim is; 4 T na filin drawer ncluding a member parallel to inchor disposed beneath each of said first han ed members and parallel tothe side of the drawer a holder for a guide card, adapted for insertionbetween. the vmembers es a lever and linger grip,

re yokes, 23, are

guide retaining means is adapted for reaoy adjustment longitudinally ofthe in closing the drawer will be sufi i restore the guide card tonormal 7 ll area of the interior of e of the drawer having a track,

guide card retain.

and the side of the drawer, and means on the holder to rest upon thetrack of the upper member.

2. In a filing drawer, guide card retaining means including a memberparallel to each side of the drawer and having a track, a memberdisposed beneath each oi said first named members and parallel to theside of the drawer, a holder for a guide card, adapted for insertionbetween the members and the side of the drawer, means on the holder torest upon the track of the upper members, and card holding means on saidholders.

3. In a filing drawer, a member parallel and adjacent to each side ofthe drawer and having a track, a member disposed beneath each of saidfirst named members, and spaced from the bottom of the drawer, a holderfor a guide card adapted for insertion between each of the members andthe adjacent side of the drawer, and card supporting means on saidholders.

l. In a filing drawer, a member parallel and adjacent to the side of thedrawer and having a track, a member disposed beneath said. first namedmember and spaced from the bottom of the drawer, a holder for a guidecard adapted for insertion between the members and the side of thedrawer, said holder including upper and lower card receivers, the lowerreceiver frictionally engaging the lower member when the holder istilted.

5. In a filing drawer, a member parallel to the side of the drawer, andhavin a track, a member disposed beneath said rst named member andspaced from the bottom of the drawer, a movable vertical holder for aguide card insertible between the members and the side of the drawer,said holder adapted to be tilted into locking engagement with the lowermember.

6. A card holder, including an upper bifurcated member, a lowerbifurcated stirrup, a rod connecting the member with the stirrup, andanti-friction means for supporting the member.

7. A card holder including an upper bifurcated member, a lowerbifurcated stirrup, a rod maintaining the member and stir rup inparallelism and antifriction supporting means mounted between thebifurcations of the upper member.

in testimony whereof I affix my si nature.

FRED. E. KUN (EL.

